Enough is Enough

The strains of “Just can’t get enough” rang out around St Mary’s on the full-time whistle as jubilant Southampton fans bounced along to the bubbly 1981 Synthpop tune by Depeche Mode but for Everton and their long-suffering supporters, enough is enough.

The hangdog expressions of both Blues chairman Bill Kenwright and director of football Steve Walsh stood immediately to his right on the full-time whistle displayed weariness and a feeling of utter despondency.

As someone who is a lifelong and passionate supporter of the club that has proudly played more top flight matches in English football than any other, Mr Kenwright knows just what is at stake here.

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He offered a slow-hand clap to his players as they trudged off the field – not so much in protest but as the act of a man who as well as being a long-serving football administrator is also a fan who is hurting so badly.

The theatre impresario saw his beloved Blues escape the relegation trapdoor by the skin of their teeth in both 1994 and 1998 but unless something is done quickly in terms of identifying a manager who can given this team a sense of identity, direction and organisation quickly, then they could be perversely battling the drop again this season despite the biggest financial outlay in the club’s history.

Just how close Farhad Moshiri is to making an appointment – after all it is now he who is Everton’s majority shareholder – remains to be seen. But having witnessed yet another sorry capitulation first hand, Mr Kenwright could really do with getting him on the phone before Jim White does.

From dogs of war to scaredy cats

Phil Jagielka and Aaron Lennon look dejected after the Premier League match between Southampton and Everton at St Mary's Stadium on November 26, 2017 (Image: Getty Images Europe)

As Southampton’s third goal went in, cameras around St Mary’s cut to the Everton bench in a rather voyeuristic fashion and there was ‘Goodison Godfather’ Joe Royle talking into caretaker manager David Unsworth’s ear.

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As well as possessing a truly awful habit of routinely going behind – that’s now 17 out of the last 19 games that Everton have conceded the first goal – when they do so, they also seem to be totally bereft of confidence with the stuffing knocked out of them.

There are plenty of veteran players in the squad – probably too many – given that a lot of the camp are either faded greats past their best or youngsters learning the game, so where is the leadership and direction from the more experienced players?

Heads go down far too easily.

Dogs of war? Scaredy-cats more like.

More Siggi stardust required

Gylfi Sigurdsson scores during the Premier League match between Southampton and Everton at St Mary's Stadium on November 26, 2017 (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s wonder-strike that rather fortunately drew Everton level just before the interval could have proven to be a season-changing moment to revive their flagging fortunes. Instead, it ultimately counted for nothing.

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When collated, his greatest hits produce a truly impressive highlights reel but many questioned why ‘Le Tiss’ never moved to one of the division’s leading lighhts and was satisfied being a big fish in a small pond despite his obvious talents.

Sigurdsson enjoyed such status at Swansea City but took the plunge to further himself at Goodison Park this summer.

The Iceland international would not have been expecting to be involved in yet another relegation fight but Everton cannot get by on a cracker from distance once every four months to vindicate their major investment.

Sigurdsson himself was very quiet from general play otherwise and both he and the other senior pros within the group need to step up and start imposing themselves much more on matches.

Left-field mess

Leighton Baines celebrates scoring his side's winning goal with his team-mates during the Premier League match between Everton and Watford at Goodison Park on November 5, 2017 (Image: Getty Images Europe)

A left-field replacement is now needed for Everton’s ‘other’ problem position?

Every man and his dog knows about the Blues’ failure to sign an adequate replacement for Romelu Lukaku, but what about their inability to recruit cover on the left-hand side of defence?

We’ve been banging on about it all season – even when Leighton Baines was fit – about the distinct lack of alternatives in the position. So just what is going to happen now he’s been hurt and could potentially face a significant period on the sidelines?

With little support from those in front of him – namely Sigurdsson and Kevin Mirallas – Baines was already struggling to stem the tide down his flank before his afternoon came to a premature end.

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At a stage of his career when Everton should be focusing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to appearances, he has already been forced to over-extend himself with opportunities for breathers being few and far between.

At least in the forward areas, there are strikers of a different sort, even if there is nobody in the Lukaku mould but the Blues have no other natural left-backs available.

Right-siders like Jonjoe Kenny – as here – or Cuco Martina (gulp) will have be forced to switch flanks because Luke Garbutt isn’t even registered to play in the Premier League and Brendan Galloway is out on loan at Sunderland.

What a mess.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin in action during the Premier League match between Southampton and Everton at St Mary's Stadium on November 26, 2017 (Image: Getty Images Europe)

Decision is critical but it has to be right

This fixture is unlikely ever to be dubbed ‘The Ronald Koeman Derby’ but of course it pitted the two Premier League sides the Dutchman managed against each other.

For all the accusations that the former boss was somewhat detached to the Blues, he was always professional in his manner and departed his post with dignity but you can’t see him attending too many reunions at either Goodison Park or St Mary’s in the future.

His exit from the Saints left a sour taste in the mouth for many of their followers – the club even ran a kit launch cartoon on their official Twitter site depicting an animated baddie with an uncanny resemblance to the flaxen-haired coach over a year after he went – but while emotions remain raw in these parts over him, moving on from the post-Koeman era has proven problematic.

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Claude Puel led them to the League Cup final last season but was still dispensed with after a single season in charge while Mauricio Pellegrino’s future has already been questioned.

While it would be unrealistic for Everton to expect a repeat of the longevity of David Moyes’ 11-year reign any time soon, they remain in desperate need of direction and stability in the manager’s position and with Mr Moshiri having dismissed both Koeman and Roberto Martinez in less than 18 months, the Blues don’t want to get sucked into that ‘hire’em/fire ‘em’ mentality that blights so many clubs these days.

Over a month on from Koeman’s sacking, a decision is critically needed but it has to be the right one.